The present invention relates to an arrangement for coupling the free ends of optical waveguides, particularly of optical fibers mounted in respective tubular connectors, and to a method of manufacturing a housing body for use in this arrangement.
There are already known various constructions of coupling devices for the free ends of optical waveguides and they usually include a housing consisting of one or more parts and incorporating clamping members or portions which are movable relative to one another transversely of the housing and together define a passage for receiving, in an end-to-end alignment, two waveguide end portions, or a plurality of such passages for correspondingly receiving respectively associated end portions of two pluralities of optical waveguides. The clamping members or portions are acted upon by respective pressing members which urge the clamping members or portions into clamping engagement with the waveguide end portions or the tubular or sleeve-shaped connectors thereof.
A coupling arrangement of this type is already known from the German Utility Model GM No. 79 35 570. This arrangement is constructed for coupling optical fibers the free ends of which are mounted in tubular connectors, and it includes a longitudinally and transversely slotted clamping body and a housing which surrounds this clamping body. In this construction, the clamping body is so configurated that it includes, at the region of the longitudinal slot, respective tongues which extend parallel to one another and the distance of which from one another corresponds to the width of the longitudinal slot. One of these two tongues is transversely divided, in order to achieve individual clamping of the two optical fiber connectors. The clamping body is connected to the housing either by being glued thereto, or by means of screws. However, experience with this type of arrangement has shown that, while it satisfies all of the requirements which are expected to be satisfied thereby, the satisfaction of such requirements is achieved at a relatively high expenditure.